Get ready to sing.

Enjoy~

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Chapter 14

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"Uuuup the river~! We're going uuuup the river~!"

"Is that really a song, Luffy?"

"Who cares?! Sing with me! Uuuup the river~!"

"We're going uuuup the river~!"

Watching as Usopp and Chopper sung with their captain at the bow, Sanji smirked and shook his head. "Wouldn't be so bad if they could actually carry a tune." he mused as he flicked the ashes off his cigarette.

"Eh... They're happy. Might as well let them." Zoro replied from where he stood near the still broken galley door. They really needed to get that fixed. They needed to get a lot of things fixed.

Sanji let out a thoughtful hum as he nodded. "I suppose we should all be happy. We narrowly missed that storm." The blonde head turned back and took note of the ominous black clouds that seemed to linger along the coast. It had rolled in just as they reached the mouth of the river Nami had chosen. Within moments of them heading inland, the storm had already gathered up a tremendous force. "Doubt we would have been able to make it out of that one as easily as the others."

Zoro looked back as well and had to admit the lightning that was crackling and jumping from cloud to cloud didn't look pleasant at all. "Yeah. We should still be on guard. Nami said stronger storms can still follow a river."

"True." Sanji replied before taking another drag.

The light conversation was a vast improvement compared to the days of silence that had passed between them. Zoro was surprised that Sanji was the first one to break that silence, but it encouraged him that the cook was wanting to patch things up as well. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do a damn thing unless Sanji wanted it too. With every word the blonde spoke, Zoro was starting to believe that Sanji did want it. Maybe as much as he did.

A silence settled over them, but it wasn't awkward like it was in the past few days. It was still guarded, but more mutual. Neither of them were looking for a way out. They just stood there at the rail in front of the galley, quietly watching the river Merry was fighting against to get them further inland.

After a moment of quietly watching, Zoro glanced over to the calm look over the still too pale face. Sanji really needed to rest, but everyone knew that the stubborn man had limits on how long he would stay down. It was a miracle they got him to stay in bed as long as they did.

Still...

Zoro didn't like the dark shadows that clung beneath the tired eyes. He didn't like how he could almost see through the pale skin to the blue tinted veins that ran beneath the surface. He didn't like how there was a faint tremble in the slender shoulders. Almost too faint to see like Sanji was trying to fight off a chill.

There was one thing that did puzzle Zoro, though...

Puzzled yet inspired a sense of awe...

Through the entire ordeal...

Through every stitch of pain...

Sanji's hands were like rock. Not once did he ever see them falter. Not one twitch. It made him wonder how the cook managed it. Zoro could think of several times when his hands trembled whenever the stress was stacking up around him. Moments when it took every shred of his will to keep his katana steady within his grip.

But Sanji...

It seemed like there was nothing that could make those treasured hands hesitate. Pain. Fear. Anger. Nothing seemed to faze those hands.

It was just impressive. No matter which way anyone looked at it.

Zoro's dark eyes fixed on the way the pale hand was lightly holding the cigarette between the long tapered fingers. The way it was so steady even as the ship rocked on the water. It was just... He couldn't even describe it.

He looked back to the pale face staring out into the distance. He wondered for a moment what Sanji thought of when he lapsed into those quiet spells. Those blue eyes seemed to stare down the horizon. As if daring it to throw another hurdle at him. Looking forward with a calm composure as if he had already solved life's problems.

Maybe...

"What's on your mind?" Direct approach was always best.

"Hm?" Sanji glanced over at his nakama briefly before looking further up river. "Wondering what it would be like to be a turtle."

"Wha...?" Zoro stared blankly at the blonde.

When he saw that Sanji was being serious, Zoro let out a heavy breath as he pinched at the bridge of his nose tight. Suddenly all the mystery behind the silent thoughtful poses Sanji frequently took on fell flat to the ground. 'Of all the stupid shit he could say...' He stopped himself for a moment and decided bite.

"Okay.. Why are you thinking something like that?"

A shrug faintly tilted Sanji's shoulders as he took another drag from his cigarette. "Hm.. I dunno. Thought about what it would be like to carry your home on your back everywhere you go. Never being without it. Taking your time to do whatever to wanted. Your only worries being finding food, not getting eaten and finding a nice girl turtle to hookup with occasionally." he rambled off with a careless wave of his hand.

Raising a brow, Zoro leaned back against the wall next to the galley door and folded his arms over his chest. "So you're saying you'd like to be a turtle?"

"Pfft. Shit no. Sounds boring as hell."

The swordsman stared blankly at the blonde's back before his palm collided with his face. He scrubbed at his face in frustration as he bit back the sarcastic comment that he wanted to counter with. "Okay.. I don't get it. What exactly is your point?"

"Heh.. Point?" Sanji repeated with a short laugh. "There isn't one. Not everything has to have a point, Marimo..." He trailed off for a moment before he continued. That thoughtful look back on his face. "But.. The idea of being at home no matter where you are... That idea sounds nice."

"Aren't we?"

The question had Sanji turning back to look at his companion. "What?"

Zoro reached back and lightly knocked on the wooden wall with his knuckles. "Isn't Merry our home? No matter where we are, Merry's there."

Sanji was quiet for a moment before he eventually nodded. "Yes.. I suppose that's right... But then again, I was taught home was where you were supposed to be. Where you belonged." He turned around a gave a slight gesture towards their captain still singing horribly atop Merry's head. "Luffy told me.. That nakama were the people you were supposed to be with..."

"So... Nakama is home." Zoro pieced together.

"Hm.." Sanji hummed softly before taking one last hit from his smoke. He held it deep for a moment before letting it out slowly with a faint nod of his head. "So it would seem."

There was something about the tone of Sanji's voice that had Zoro concerned. He pushed away from the wall and stepped up to the rail next to the blonde. The calm look on the pale face had him frowning. "Sanji... If I.."

"You think turtle sex is difficult? I mean there's that big clunky shell to contend with." Sanji asked suddenly as he flicked his spent cigarette towards the water.

It was so random that Zoro nearly fell over the rail from shock. His hands clutched to it tightly to keep himself upright as he leveled a glare at the blonde. "Dammit, Sanji! I was trying to be supportive, and you bring up turtle sex?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

A wide shit eating grin was on Sanji's face as he poked at Zoro's nose. "Nothing. I just wanted to see that priceless 'what the fuck' look on your face. I've missed that." he teased before turning away and heading for the galley door.

Blinking in alarm at the fact he was just played, Zoro was soon growling and storming after the blonde. "Fuckin curlicue, get back here!"

At the bow, Usopp and Chopper glanced back when they heard the shout. They immediately saw Sanji laughing as he had his hand pushing Zoro by the face out of the galley, and Zoro growling as he tried to pull the hand off his face.

"Luffy... Sanji and Zoro are fighting again... I think..?" Chopper said slowly. He was very unsure when he saw the bright expression on the cook's face.

"Eh?" Luffy turned to look, and was instantly smiling at what he saw. "Ah. So they are."

"Should we stop them?" Usopp asked with a tilt of his head.

The captain took in the sound of Sanji's laughter as he continued to jeer the blushing Zoro. "Heh.. Nah. It makes them happy. Might as well let them." He gave a dismissive wave of his hand and turned back to look up river. "Let's sing some more! Uuuuup the river~!"

Usopp and Chopper looked to one another before giving a mutual shrug and joining in. "We're going uuuuup the river~!"

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TBC

Hm.. How do they get around that clunky shell...

Later~